Recent advances in the development of a carbon monoxide (CO) chain reaction chemical laser capable of high cw power output have created the need for an efficient method of generating large quantities of CS. In the CS fueled CO chemical laser, molecular oxygen (O.sub.2) in combination with CS, produces a chemical chain reaction which results in the production of vibrationally excited CO. The CS molecule is stable in the gas phase; however, a heterogeneous process involving the recombination of CS to produce CS.sub.2 on contact with a wall precludes accumulation and storage of large quantities of CS. Any practical large scale CS fueled CO chemical laser requires a CS generator as an integral component.
Present devices for producing CS rely on electrical power. These devices are inefficient and would be impractical for large scale lasers.
The most practical method of producing CS for CO chemical laser applications is by the thermal dissociation of CS.sub.2. If the energy for the dissociation is provided by a thermochemical combustion process, large quantities of CS can be produced from a combustor unrestricted in size. However, additional chemical species generated by the thermochemical combustion process must not interfere with either the chemistry of the CO laser or cause significant degradation of optical gain produced in the CO laser.
Accordingly, a principal object of this invention is to provide a thermochemical combustor using a fuel-oxidizer flame and CS.sub.2 to generate CS, the energy for the dissociation of CS.sub.2 being provided by the high energy release of the flame. More specifically, an object of this invention is to provide a cyanogen (C.sub.2 N.sub.2)--O.sub.2 flame to thermally dissociate CS.sub.2 to provide a source of CS fuel for a CO chemical laser.
In copending application of Jeffers et al Ser. No. 473,695 filed May 28, 1974 (now abandoned in favor of Continuation application Ser. No. 648,273), is disclosed a process and apparatus for a CO chemical laser CS-CS.sub.2 fuel in which the CS is generated by DC glow discharges. These discharges provide CS/CS.sub.2 in molar ratios from 0.3 to a practical level of 0.5. In copending application of Jeffers and Ageno Ser. No. 658,497 entitled CO Chain Reaction Chemical Laser is disclosed a chain reaction CO chemical laser using CS fuel. The present application provides a method of making substantial amounts of CS to use as fuel in the processes of said copending applications.